I have been very interested
in America's coastal defenses for a number of years, and will try to pass on
some of the information I have found on this subject. I would first like to
thank Mr. John Martini and Mr. Mark Henkiel who have given me a great deal
information on this subject, and who have assisted me greatly in my research. I
would also like to give credit to the Park Archive and Record Center, Golden
Gate National Recreation Area, for the historic photographs. The contemporary
photos are from my personal collection. I hope that you will find this site of
interest, and would appreciate any suggestions, recommendations or comments you
would like to share.

On the following pages, I will
provide brief histories of various batteries. I plan to update this page every so often as time permits. From time to time, I will also
reproduce records and documents pertaining to this subject along with links to
some of the best Coast Artillery sites on the internet. I begin this series
with a tale of fortifications that started after the 3rd system and lasted
through 1948 in the San Francisco Harbor Defenses. They were designated to
safeguard the harbor from all harm, and even though there was never a shot fired
in anger, their presence made them awesome.